Cooking with character: Evolution of dining utensils

CEBU, Philippines - Archaeologists found that ancient man used sharp stones to cut pieces of meat and ate using their hands and fingers. When fire was discovered, sticks were used to skewer and cook their food. Shells and pieces of wood were also shaped to help scoop out their food. Today, these sharp stones, sticks and shells are known as precursors of our dining utensils: knife, chopsticks, fork and the spoon.

The latter two instruments are used in North America and Europe while countries like China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea use the chopsticks. But the use of the hands and fingers prevails in many cultures in modern times and the custom persists in Africa, Indonesia, the Middle East and India.

During a recent wedding in India, guests including these two Americans used their hands during the wedding feast. However, there was a correct way to use the fingers. During the mid-1500s, “refined people ate with only the first three fingers, thus clearly distinguishing the lower class that used all five from the upper class”. And Erasmus in 1526, author of the first book on table etiquette insisted that “diners never lick their fingers” and it is better “to wipe one’s fingers on the tablecloth”. Table napkins, excuse me, were yet to be invented!

There is a legend in China that a certain “Dayu” invented the chopstick. He allegedly chop off “two twigs from a tree and used them to clip pieces of meat from inside the boiling soup”. His men saw him able to eat the meat without burning his hands, imitated him and the chopsticks were born.

Today, chopsticks are made from bamboo, wood, plastic, animal horns and precious metals. Environmentalists however frown on the use of bamboo and wood because if 1.4 billion Chinese use a pair everyday, goodbye gyud the forest in China. Emperors and royalty of China usually dine with “chopsticks of silver, as it has the peculiar property of reacting to poisonous chemicals by turning black, thus guaranteeing safety of the food”.

Chopsticks are difficult to handle compared to the spoon and fork and this is the reason why Filipinos prefer the latter utensils. It would be nice to have a set or two of this cutlery; one for daily use and the other set for special occasions. Nice start would be the Forma Collection made by Oneida. You have starter sets made for four persons and it is available at the Country Classics (Home Decors and Flower shop), MLD Bldg. Archbishop Reyes Ave. Banilad, phone 233-3933 and email: [email protected]). It is made from good quality stainless steel which seem to last forever and the only reason to damage it is when a household help use it to open their ration of canned sardines! 

Or better still, get married and choose wedding sponsors with generous budgets and you may get this Middle level Collectables from Rosenbaum International. It is packed in a briefcase good for 12 persons. Only problem is when visiting relatives and friends or house help conveniently hide a piece or two as souvenir to commemorate that eventful dinner. Even one very distinguished personality, a University President confessed that he took some cutlery while dining on a train because the spoon, fork and knife carried the abbreviations of his name: C. P. R.

Top of the line would be the Royal Collection by Bestecke Solingen (with 23/24 Karat Hartvergoldet). Your favorite food columnist feels like royalty even if Inununan ra my lunch. Some problem will be encountered by people with petite mouths because the size of the spoons is huge, like our regular serving spoon!

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